As a member of the
HLHS Consortium, Oklahoma Children’s Hospital is one of 12 institutions across the
country dedicated to discovering and developing more effective methods
to manage and treat hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS).
Established by Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., the HLHS Consortium is
a means to study more HLHS patients, collecting a greater volume of knowledge
than would be possible otherwise. More patients mean more opportunities
to discover new avenues for treatment, care and enhanced quality of life
for the long term.
Led by
Harold Burkhart, M.D., head of the pediatric cardiothoracic surgery team at Oklahoma Children's
Hospital, membership in the Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Consortium
establishes Oklahoma as a regional center for families to receive care
closer to home, helping create new efficiencies, share best practices
and define protocols that improve lives of children and families affected by HLHS.
Nationwide, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Consortium members collaborate
on expanding the development of cell-based, innovative research opportunities
to transform the lives of people living with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.
Consortium partners contribute not only financial resources, but the time
and expertise of highly skilled specialists.
The HLHS Consortium was established through the philanthropy of the Todd
and Karen Wanek Family Program at Mayo, founded in 2010. The program is
responsible for funding clinical trials that have yielded significant
results, changing lives for the better.
Request an Appointment
Request an appointment or referral to find out more about diagnostic tests
and clinic visits for children's heart care at Oklahoma Children's Hospital.
HLHS is a congenital (present at birth) heart disease, affecting about
1,000 newborns in the United States each year. It causes critical underdevelopment
of the left side of the heart, placing the full burden of heart function
on the right side. While HLHS is the most severe congenital heart defect
that occurs in infants, it is so rare that research initiatives and development
of new therapies have been limited.
Until recently, the course of treatment for HLHS has included drug therapy
to prevent closure of the connection between the heart’s right and
left sides, followed by corrective surgery or transplant. Surgical treatment
is actually a series of three staged reconstructive procedures.
The first (Norwood) typically occurs within days of birth.
The second procedure (Glenn) follows in the next three to six months.
The final surgery (Fontan) is usually performed at 2 to 4 years of age.
A phase I clinical trial recently conducted by consortium partners was
the first such research monitored by the Food and Drug Administration.
The study demonstrated the potential of regenerative therapy for HLHS
through the collection, processing and direct injection of an infant’s
own stem cells into the heart during a surgical procedure. The injected
stem cells serve to strengthen the heart muscle.
Advantages of a Consortium
Among other advantages, the consortium promotes complementary, cross-functional
teams that are able to gain and share expertise more rapidly. Through
the consortium, progress is accelerated and positive outcomes are being
realized. Consortium participants may also have the capacity to provide
local or regional care that minimizes the burden of travel for patients’ families.
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